LETTER-Use credible writers, please

The essay that tries to make the point that using plastic bags is fine for the environment (and slamming Whole Foods Market for its responsible decision to ban their use for bagging groceries) is full of assumptions and poor reasoning ["Plastic ban: Mayor's short-sighted plan to 'bag it,'" August 14].

It opposes the use of cloth bags by saying they are not environmentally effective unless used more than once! Isn't that the point? Those of us who tote our totes to the market do so because it's good for the environment while it cuts down on the manufacture, distribution, and use of more plastic and paper.

One cannot expect an unbiased article from the Reason Foundation (the author is a policy analyst there), which sees everything in the light of libertarianism. I'd prefer the Hook use journalists who present just the facts, please.

Anne McKeithenCharlottesville

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3 comments

Brian August 22nd, 2008 | 8:58pm

Anne,

Of course it's the point to re-use. The author says that--did you really read the article? But there's a big difference between re-using your bag to save Earth and *banning* plastic bags. If the 90% of the population that does not recycle takes their crisp, green paper bag home and chucks it in the trash, it's a much worse environmental catastrophe.

That's what economists and libertarians call an unintended consequence.

One cannot expect an unbiased response to common sense from an environmentalist.

Chris August 22nd, 2008 | 10:14pm

The original piece is an essay (as this letter notes). It is, by its very nature, an opinion piece and not a news article. Opinion pieces are not and should not be unbiased. Not everything published in a "newspaper" is "news," nor should it be.

oil barron August 26th, 2008 | 9:38am

Using plastic bags consumes the same amount of oil as 1 gallon of gas per car per year.

So if I use 1 less gallon thgis year in exchange for using plastic bags al year then the fossil fuel debate is over.

Plastic bags DO NOT hurt the environment since they do not poison the groundwater or affect the soil or air in any way.

They may be unsightly on the ground but far less unsightly then the litter that will be tossed on the ground because people did not have a plastic bag stuffed in the glovebox to put it in.